The New England Patriots and Denver Broncos will face off this Sunday in the AFC Championship, and all of the focus is on the two quarterbacks. This week everyone is talking about how Tom Brady and Peyton Manning might be sharing the same field for the last time. And while the attention is certainly warranted, given what both quarterbacks have accomplished in their respective careers, Brady and Manning haven’t ever actually played on the same field at the same time. There’s also been a lot of chatter about how the Broncos defense is focused on figuring out a way to stop Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.
That seems like sound reasoning since Gronk may end up being the best tight end the NFL has ever seen by the time his career is over. And the former University of Arizona standout has 40 receptions for 516 yards and six touchdowns in six career games against the Broncos, including six catches for 88 yards and a touchdown (where he absolutely shredded the Denver defense) when the Pats and Broncos met in Week 12 this season. But, as good and imposing as Gronk is, Denver cannot forget about Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman.
IN AFC CHAMPIONSHIP BRONCOS DEFENSE MUST LIMIT JULIAN EDELMAN
New England finished the 2015 regular season with a 12-4 record, and all four of the Patriots losses came without the former Kent State quarterback in the lineup after Edelman missed time due to breaking a bone in his foot in Week 10. In his first game back on the field, the talented wideout recorded 10 catches for 100 yards in the Patriots Divisional Round game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Edelman recorded those numbers against Marcus Peters who had been playing at a very high level prior to the matchup. Sure, having Tom Brady as your quarterback and Bill Belichick as your coach definitely helps, and the somewhat diminutive wideout might not have found the endzone against the Chiefs, but he helped move the chains, and he proved he is a huge part of what makes the Patriots offense go.
Other numbers backup just how important the Patriots leading receiver is to his team. Brady and company converted 48.7 percent of their third downs in Weeks 1-10, with Edelman in the lineup. Without him on the field the Pats third down conversion rate dipped to 32 percent but then went back up to 50 percent with Edelman in the lineup against the Chiefs. In Weeks 1-10, with Brady able to throw to Edelman, Bill Belichick’s team converted 35.4 percent of their trips to the red zone into touchdowns. That number dropped to just 19 percent in Weeks 11-17 without Edelman but went back up to 37.5 percent against the Chiefs once Edelman was back on the field.
A big reason for this success with Edelman on the field is how quickly he allows Brady to get rid of the ball. The Patriots had around a million different offensive line configurations this season, and their protection of their quarterback has suffered at times as a result. But with Edelman on the field, Brady has seen a lot less pressure. The importance of Edelman bringing that element to the table, and the trust Brady has in him, cannot be understated.
Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib will, more than likely, be matched up on Edelman on Sunday. The former Patriots defensive back will have his work cut out for him though. The 5-foot-10 Patriots receiver caught approximately 70 percent of the balls thrown his way during the 2015 regular season. Even though he only played in nine games this season, Edelman still recorded 61 receptions for 692 yards and found the endzone seven times. Talib had a subpar season, allowing three touchdowns and a 63 percent catch rate.
I understand how important it is for opposing defenses to game plan to try to slow down Gronkowski, but the Broncos forgetting about Edelman would be a huge mistake.
